Banjo



(No Model.)

E. J. CUBLEY.

BANJO.

No. 394,159. Patented Dec. 11, 1888,

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EDVIN J. CBLEY, OF RAVENSVOOD, ILLINOIS.

BANJO.

SECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 394,159, dated December 11, 1888.

Application filed June 8, 1888. Serial No. 276,533. (No model.)

T0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWIN J. CUBLEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Ra.- venswood, in the county ot' Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Banjos, ot. which thei'ollowing is a specification.

In the construction of a perfect banjo it is particularly desirable that the rear end of the neck should set firmly and true against the hoop or rim portion of the head, and at the saine time leave between the rim and the neck an accurately defined space for the stretching' or straining band that is commonly employed in connection with the tensionhooks or the like t'or stretching the parchment head upon the rim. It is also desirable that the neck should be held in perfect align ment with a line taken di ametrically through the head and intersecting the center of a bracket employed as a bearing for the tension-hook that serves to engage and hold in place the tailepiece.

The objects of my invention are to provide simple, light, and highlv-eliicient means for holding the neck :in perfect alignment with a line taken diamctriealy through t'ie head; to stiiien the rim without materially increasing the weight ot thehead to insure a perfect eircular form ot the rim; to provide improved means for holding the aforesaid tension-hook bracket in rigid connection with the rim, and t0 provide certain novel and improved details serving to increase the efiicieney oli' the banjo as a i'nusical instrument.

In a banjo characterized by my improvement the neck abuts at one end against the rim and is engaged by a rod which extends diametriea-lly across the space wit-hin the head and at one end extends through the rim, so that it may enter the neck to a suitable extent. Asa means for holding the rod in rigid connection with the rim, the latter is clamped between two jaws or shoulders upon the rod, one of said jaws being aitorded by the end of the neck that abuts against the outer side of the rim, while the remaining oppositely-arranged jaw is tormed b v a nut, which is adj ustablv held upon a threaded portion of the rod and tightened up against the inner side ot' the rim.

In the drawings, Figure l represents a section taken centrally through the head and a portion ot' the neck ot' a banjo with my improvement applied thereto, a portion only oi the rod C heilig', however, shown in longitudinal section. Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view ot the banjo-head and a` portion ot its neck. Fig. S represents, on a larger scale, a section through the nut. Fig. t represents in elevation a portion of the head. Fi 5 represents one ot' the brackets.

In said drawings, A denotes the portion 'of a banjo which is commonly termed the headf and B indicates the neck, which is understood to be provided at one end with Iiiegs for tightening up the strings, as usual.

The end ol the neck which is next to the head is shaped to iit snugly aga-inst the outer side ot the hoop or rim u, and is at its said end provided with a notch or oit'set, which serves to provide between the rim and the endoi the neck a space suitable l'or the band u, that is, as usual, arranged `for engaging and holding upon the rim the parchment o?.

The metal rod (I extends diaimtrically across the circular space within the banjohead, and is at one end threz'uled and cxtended through and beyond the rim, so that it may enter and engage in a suitable bearing in the neck, which will be propel-l)Y bored to permit such connection to be made between the rod and the neck. The feature ot the rod thus extending across the head andheld in engagement with the neck serves as an auxiliar)v to the bearing oli' the end ol? the neck against the rim, in holding the neck against independent lateral vibration, and in maintaining the neck in alignment with a line taken diametrically across the space with in the head.

As a means for clamping t-he end ot' the neck against the rim, so as to hold it in perfectly rigid connection tlwrewith and prevent any and all jarring sound ol' the instrument, a nut, D, is applied upon the threaded portion c of the rod and tightened up against the inner side of the rim, in which wa v the rim can be iirmljT clamped between the nut and the end of the neck, which latter will be drawn against the rim with a degree oi' force proportional to the extent to which the nut is tightened up.

B v the foregoing arrangement the rod mav have any desired length of bearing in the neck, it being evident that by said arrangement IOO the rod is in effect in engagement with a bearing provided within and rigid with the neck, fand hence that the rod is held in rigid connection with a pair ot' clamping-j aws formed 5 by the nut and the neck, and will be in rigid i connection with the rim. The neck will therefore be steadied and held against all tendency nto vibrate independently of the rim, and by thus connecting one end of the rod with the Io rim through the medium of a pair of jaws,

between which a suitable portion of the mate- Y rial of the rim is clamped, an d further connecting the opposite end of the rod in any suitable way with the rim at a point diametrically opposite the point whereat the threaded-end portion of the rod passes through the rim, the circular shape of the rim will be insured, and, also, the rim will be properly stitened by a Y comparatively-light metal rod, which adds but 2O little to the weight ot' the head, and hence permits the free vibration necessary to the production ot` a good tone.

The end ot' the n ut which is tightened up against the rim is rounded in correspondence with the curvature of the latter, and, as a preferred construction, the nut is made o't' such length that it will entirely conceal such portion of the thread of the nut Aas maybe within the space or the head.

"While the rod can be of about the same diameter throughout its length, it is preferably reduced in diameter back of its threaded portion, so that while the threaded portion of the rod may be made sufficiently large to permit it to have a suitable extent of bearing-surface within the neck, the rod can be lightened by reducing the size of its remaining portion, which, while comparatively small, will have ample strength and rigidity.

In connection with a bracket, E, which affords a bearing for t-he tension-hook F, that is employed to engage and hold the tail-piece G, the rod C can be extended through the rim and threaded, so as to provide a bearing upon which the bracket can be screwed and tightened up against the rim. To such end the rod is shouldered at a point back from one of its terminals, and its reduced end portion threaded and extended through and beyond the rim, so as to provide a threaded bearing, 5o c', upon which the bracket E can be fitted. By tightening up the bracket E (which is in the nature of a nut) against the rim the latter can be firmly clamped between said bracket and the shoulder of the rod, whereby the rod may at this end be also rigidly held in connection with the rim. The rod serves,

therefore, to provide a simple and elicient arrangement of rigid bearing for the bracket, while the latter assists in holding the rod in 6o rigid connectionv with the rim. The threaded end of the rod is herein shown made solid, but it can be made hollow at said end, if desired, there being, however, but a small difference in weight between the two constructions.

Should, from any cause whatever, the nut D work a little loose, it can be readily tightened up by a key, such as is used by banjoplayers for tightening up the nuts of the ten- 7o sion-bolts, and hence, no matter how long the instrument may be in use, perfect rigidity between the neck and the rim can be preserved.

`What l claim as my invention is- The combination, with the rim of a banjohead and the neck, of a rod extending across the space within the head and at one end engage a bearing in the neck., and a nut applied upon a threaded portion of the rod and adapted to be tightened against the rim, whereby 8o the latter may be clamped between the nut Vand the neck, substantially' as and for the purpose described.

EDWIN J. CUBLEY.

\Vit1iesses:

G. VAN ZANDT, D. W. BUCHANAN.

SEST AVAiL/BLE It is herebT certified that in Letters Patent No. 394,1597 granted December ll, 1888,'l

'upon the application of Edwin J. Cubley, of Ravenswood, Illinois, for an improvement in Banjos, an error appears in the printed specification requiring the following cor! rection7 viz: In lines 77-78, page 2, the Word engage should read engaging and that the said Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein to make it conform to the record of the case in the Patent Ofce. i

Signed,-countersigned, and sealed this 25th day of December, A. D. 1888.

o [SEAL] H. L. MULDROW,

First-Aesstant Secretary of the Interior.

Countersigned BENTON J. HALL,

Commissioner of Patents.

It is hereby certied that in Letters Patent N o. 394,159, granted December l. upon the application of Edwin J. Cubley, of Ravenswood, Illinois, for an impro in Benjos, an error appears in the printed specification requiring the followi: reccion7 viz: In lines 7 7-78, page 2, the Word engage should read engaging; al the said Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein to make it c to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed, countersigned, and sealed this 25th day of December, A. D. 1888.

H. L. MULDROW, First Assistant Secretary of the I9 [SEAL] Countersigned:

BENTON J. HALL,

Commissioner of Patents. 

